FCC Needs to Put More Focus on Low- and High-Band Spectrum, Rosenworcel says
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel urged the FCC to look at some nontraditional bands, as low as 400 MHz and as high as 90 GHz, as one way of addressing a looming spectrum crisis. Rosenworcel also called for an examination of whether some federal laws, such as the Miscellaneous Receipts Act, are limiting the ability of government agencies to move more quickly to other frequencies, speaking Monday at the GSMA 360 North America conference in Atlanta. The FCC put her remarks online (http://bit.ly/1uyreeB).
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"We need to think differently,” Rosenworcel said. “We can no longer limit ourselves to frequencies in the traditional range. We need to look elsewhere."
Rosenworcel said making use of low-band spectrum won’t be easy, especially because the spectrum is fragmented. She compared 400 MHz spectrum to a “puzzle” where the parts don’t fit together easily. “But if we can find a way to put even a few pieces together, we may be able to develop a new swath of airwaves prime for mobile broadband,” she said.
Rosenworcel urged the FCC to look “very, very high” for usable spectrum, above 60 GHz and possibly as high as 90 GHz. She said the agency would have to “bust through our old 3 GHz ceiling.” Rosenworcel said the “physics” is different for spectrum in high ranges, but the spectrum can also be aggregated for massive channels spanning hundreds of megahertz. “If you mix those wide channels with small cells packed close together, you can densify networks at low cost,” she said. “Combine this with networks using lower-band spectrum and you can deliver service further into buildings and offer faster speeds than ever before, especially in areas with the greatest traffic demands."
Rosenworcel said the government needs to work harder to force federal agencies to use spectrum more efficiently. She identified one possible impediment, the Miscellaneous Receipts Act, which requires that any government official or agent receiving money for the government from any source must deposit the money in the Treasury as soon as practicable. The law “can prevent negotiation between federal agencies and winning bidders in wireless auctions,” she said. “But if we made some changes, we could speed transition to commercial use by providing updated spectrum or equipment to federal authorities being relocated."
Rosenworcel said the FCC should create a program to recruit young, talented engineers, similar to its honors attorney recruitment program. The agency has more than 250 engineers on staff, but needs to keep an eye out for fresh talent, she said.
Goldin Associates Managing Director Armand Musey said spectrum is a lot like real estate in Manhattan. “Once you've build on all the land, you need to consider building up higher and digging own deeper,” Musey said. “Higher frequencies have great data carrying capacity, but usually need closer to line of sight connections to be effective. That works for some technologies. There are also some rebanding opportunities that might free up lower frequency spectrum. That’s politically challenging, but probably worthwhile."
CTIA President Meredith Baker said Rosenworcel is on the right track. “Commissioner Rosenworcel’s forward-looking remarks and ‘ideas for spectrum policy in 2020’ are exactly what we need to start talking about spectrum reallocation post-incentive auction and the proper incentive structure for federal agencies,” Baker said.
Competitive Carriers Association President Steve Berry said Rosenworcel was on target. “We need to start thinking about new possible spectrum opportunities now,” he said. “As history has shown, it normally takes 10 to 15 years to effectively identify new available spectrum and integrate it in to the commercial market place.” Wireless technologies, devices, and network infrastructures all must be coordinated, he said. “It is becoming exceedingly complicated and complex with every new generation of services and consumer expectations.”